The reality of guilt within the Christian life something we have all probably thought about. Sometimes we feel guilty when don't need to. Sometime we don't feel guilty when we certainly need to. Check out Kevin deYoung's excellent little article that I think really helps in this whole area.
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I disagree about the helpfulness of this article, I think it actually causes confusion and leaves Christians in Babylon so to speak (Babylon means 'mixture/confusion'). A mixture of the old convenant and new covenant, of law and grace. One statement from DeYoung that really bothers me is this:
ReplyDelete"In fact, I’m convinced most serious Christians live their lives with an almost constant low-level sense of guilt."
First of all, how does he define a 'serious' Christian? Secondly, if you are feeling guilty it is because you are conscious that your behaviour does not meet a certain standard (i.e. the law). Being concious of the law strengthens sin, and keeps you in bondage. The law is the devil's weapon - if he has got you feeling guilty, he has leverage to manipulate you. Don't give him that authority in your life!
Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
"13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
We need to be careful not to re-arm the powers and authorities. As believers, we shouldn't be going back for the occasional snack at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (i.e. the law). We eat from the tree of life.
I would assume he defines a serious Christian as anybody would. Someone who he serious about God and believes that Jesus died on the cross for own sins. As we aren't meant to chuck the law out I am not sure exactly where you are coming from? The law makes us aware of our sin but Jesus takes the punishment for that sin.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like point two of the article that we should motivate each other by grace rather than guilt. I think this is a wonderful example to set that we should be motivated by God's gifts to use rather than other perhaps less-holy motivations.